NHL Happenings

Johan Hedberg stopped 28 of 29 shots to help the New Jersey Devils defeat the Atlanta Thrashers 3-1. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Devils. It was also the first win for coach Jacques Lemaire since he took over for recently fired John MacLean. Mark Fayne, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Ilya Kovalchuch had goals for the Devils. Dustin Byfuglien scored his 15th goal of the year for Atlanta. He leads all NHL defensemen with 40 points. Goalie Chris Mason took the loss.

James Wisniewski deflected a Michael Cammalleri shot for the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Montreal Canadians a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Wisniewski was playing in only his second game with Montreal since being acquired in a trade with the New York Islanders earlier this week. He also scored a power play goal and added an assist in the second period. The Panthers took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Stephen Weiss and Dmitri Kulikov. But Montreal then dominated the rest of the game. Alex Auld stopped twenty shots for the win. Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun played well in the loss, blocking 45 of 48 shots.

Pekka Rinne made 22 saves to earn his first win since coming back from a knee injury, as the Nashville Predators defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Rinne had lost his previous three starts. Patric Hornqvist, after failing to register a point last night on 14 SOG, tipped in a Shea Weber shot to give the Preds a 2-0 lead. Minnesota's Chuck Kobasew made it a one goal game when he scored at 18:06 of the third period. But the Preds sealed the victory with empty net goals from Joel Ward and Sergei Kostitsyn in the final minute. Cody Franson also scored for Nashville. Niklas Backstrom saved 28 of 30 shots in the loss.

Jakub Voracek put a wrist shot past past goalie Brian Elliott's leg pads in overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets ousted the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Voracek, who was a healthy scratch the past two games, also added an assist. The Blue Jackets had a 3-0 lead midway through the second-period on goals from R.J. Umberger, Rick Nash, and Samuel Pahlsson. But the Senators stormed back on an unassisted second-period wrist shot by Mike Fisher, and third- period goals from Nick Foligno and Daniel Alfreddson, the latter a wrist shot with just over a minute left in regulation. Elliot stopped 19 shots for the Senators. Steve Mason in the win saved 35 of 38 shots for Columbus.

Jason Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky each netted two goals and added two assists to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a convincing 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Teemu Salanne, Saku Koivu, and Toni Lydman also had two assists apiece. Rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky
continued his recent poor play, stopping only 22-27 shots. The lone goal scorers for the Flyers were Andreas Nodl and Jeff Carter, who also added an assist. Jonas Hiller was brilliant behind the net again, stopping 35 Flyer shots.

Backup goalie Cory Schneider was phenomenal, stopping 44 of 45 shots to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. It was Vancouver's fourth consecutive win. Dallas netminder Kari Lehtonen suffered his second difficult game in the past two nights and was pulled after allowing four goals on only ten shots. He was relieved by Andrew Raycroft who saved all eight shots he faced. Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Raffi Torres, and Kevin Bieksa all scored for Vancouver. Brenden Morrow's power play goal was the only marker for the Stars.

Alexander Steen scored a goal and added an assist, and Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves as the St. Louis Blues won their fifth straight game beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3. Brad Boyes, Erik Johnson, and Alex Pietrangelo also scored, and Barret Jackman added two helpers for the Blues. Shane Doan potted two goals, Laurie Korpikoski scored once, and Scottie Upshall had two assists for the Yotes. Ilya Bryzgalov took the loss, saving 18 of 22 shots.

Tom Kostopoulos and Tim Jackman each had a goal and an assist as the Calgary Flames got the best of the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Mikka Kiprusoff stopped 19 of 21 shots for the win. Jerome Iginla continued his strong December play, netting a goal. Daniel Winnik and Tomas Fleischmann scored third-period goals but the Avalanche rally fell short. Craig Anderson made 23 saves in the loss.

P.A. Parenteau lifted a snap shot passed goalie Jimmy Howard in overtime as the New York Islanders defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3. The Isles, arguably the NHL's weakest team, has beaten the Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins in consecutive nights. Dwayne Roloson was stellar, stopping 38 of 41 shots. Despite winning only six of 19 games, he maintains a decent .916 SV% and a 2.64 GAA. John Tavares, who recently broke out of a lengthy slump, had a goal and two assists. Matt Moulson and Jesse Joensu also scored for the Isles. Detroit rookie Tomas Tatar scored his first goal in his NHL debut. Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula also netted goals for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard was only able to stop 19 of 23 shots in the loss.


NHL Nomads:
The Montreal Canadians traded fan favorite Maxim Lapierre to the Anaheim Ducks for Brett Festerling and a 2012 fifth round pick.
Edmonton sent Linus Omark down to Oklahoma City.
Phoenix sent Brett MacLean down to the San Antonio Rampage.
After clearing waivers, Canuck's defenseman Ryan Parent has been sent down to the minors.
Florida center Steve Reinprecht was placed on waivers.
Edmonton defenseman Shawn Bell has been called up from Oklahoma City.

Injuries:
Evander Kane returned to action after missing his last game with an injured arm.
Devil's Colin White missed tonight's game because of the flu. He remains doubtful for Sunday.
Carolina forward Jussi Jokinen will probably miss Saturday's game with a lower body injury.
Carolina defenseman Joni Pitkanen is also doubtful for tomorrow's game. He is suffering from the flu and also has a lower body injury.
Red Wing center Patrick Eaves suffered an upper body injury after scoring a hat trick on Wednesday. He is considered day-to-day.
The Islanders placed defenseman Radek Martinek on IR with a wrist injury.

Fantasy Futility:
Richard Peverly minus 3 +/-
Andrew Ladd minus 3 +/-
Cam Barker minus 3 +/-
Danny Briere minus 3 +/-
Mike Richards minus 3 +/-

NHL Happenings

Rookie goaltender Cedrick Desjardins picked up his first win in his NHL debut as the Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Montreal Canadians 4-1. Desjardins was traded by the Canadians to Tampa Bay before the start of this season. He made 27 saves. Montreal goaltender Carey Price was chased after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Steven Stamkos had two goals and two assists. Pavel Kubina and Martin St. Louis also scored for the Lightning. Max Pacioretti had a goal for the Canadians.


Tobias Enstrom scored two power play goals, and Brian Little and Tim Stapleton each scored in the first two rounds of a shootout as the Atlanta Thrashers defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2. Ondrej Pavelec picked up the win when he stoned Blake Wheeler and Tyler Seguin during the shootout. Tim Thomas was the hard-luck loser.

R.J. Umberger tipped a Rick Nash wrist shot past Jonas Gustavsson for the game winner as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Steve Mason stopped 20 of 22 shots for the victory. Kristian Huselius had two goals for the Blue Jackets, while Nikolai Kulemin and Tyler Bozak each had a single tally for the Leafs.

San Jose snapped its two game losing streak when Joe Thornton tipped in the game winner as the Sharks topped the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots for the win. Marty Turco making his third straight appearance was saddled with the loss after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Patrick Sharp, Troy Brouwer, and Brian Campbell scored for Chicago. Scott Nichol, Benn Ferriero, Dany Heatley, and Ryane Clowe each found the back of the net for San Jose. Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic each picked up a pair of assists.

Milan Hejduk scored the lone goal in a shootout to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The Avalanche darted out to a 3-0 first period lead on goals by TJ Galiardi, Paul Stastny, and Thomas Fleischman. Edmonton tied it on a second period goal by Taylor Hall, and third period goals by Ales Hemsky and Andrew Cogliano. Dustin Penner had two assists. Colorado goalie Craig Anderson picked up the win, while Devan Dubnyk suffered the loss for the Oilers.

Michael Leighton picked up his first victory of the season as the Philadelphia Flyers outlasted the Los Angeles Kings 7-4. Leighton had not played since last year's Stanley Cup final. He was finally activated after spending the entire season on IR rehabilitating from back surgery. He stopped 32-36 shots. Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier was ineffective allowing six goals on only 22 shots. He was finally relieved by Jonathan Quick. Mike Richards scored two goals and had two assists for the Flyers. He was joined by fellow teammates Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, James van Riemsdyk, and Ville Leino who each scored a goal. Ryan Williams potted two goals, while Justin Williams and Jack Johnson each scored once for L.A. The Kings Kyle Clifford, Wayne Simmonds, and Michal Handzus were a minus 3 plus/minus for the night.

Injuries:

Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf has been put on IR after sustaining multiple sinus fractures when a deflected puck hit his face a couple of days ago. He will miss at least two games.

The swelling is so severe, it will take two weeks to determine treatment for Oiler defenseman Ryan Whitney's ankle. If surgery is needed, he will miss the remainder of the year.

Atlanta's Nik Antropov was placed on IR with an injured hip. The injury was worse than originally thought.

Thrasher winger Evander Kane was unable to suit up for tonight's game with an undisclosed arm injury. He attempted to practice but was forced to leave the ice after six minutes.

Blackhawk forward Jonathan Toews will miss two weeks with a shoulder injury. Fortunately, the injury was not as severe as originally feared.

Awesome Race Fans

Awesome Race Fans, a forum for the avid and casual NASCAR fan alike, was launched on December 21, 2011. The website in its first week online, during NASCAR's off-season, has already seen impressive web traffic and lively fan interaction. The site Administrator, who goes by the name Vinny, has provided a wonderful web venue for race fans to share news, details about tracks and race strategy, a fan forum for each driver, history, race day weather, traffic reports to and from the race, tailgating tips, recipes, and more. I will be a regular visitor and contributor to the forum, and I intend to share with my readers much what is learned there.
Thanks Vinny and good luck!

Brandon Webb

Brandon Webb agreed to a one year contract Sunday night with the Texas Rangers. He is slated to be their fourth or fifth starter. ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that the deal is worth $3 million dollars in base salary with a possibility of earning an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives.
Webb only made one appearance in 2009 lasting just four innings. He was forced to leave the game when he experienced severe bursitis in his right throwing shoulder. He tried to let the injury heal with rest, but finally opted for surgery towards the end of the year. His rehabilitation cost him the entire 2010 season.
Webb did, however, work out for a number of teams during the latter part of the year, pitching in a number instructional league games. His fastball was reported to be peaking in the low 80's, a drop of 5 MPH compared to when he was pitching prior to the injury. And although he threw the fastball with his trademark good sink, one scout claimed, "Scary that that is all he's got after such long rehab."
Webb averaged 227 innings pitched, 178K's, 7.1 K/9, and 2.96 BB/9 from 2004-2008. He was able to compensate for his above average strike out rate by never inducing less than an average of 64% of balls hit in play as grounders. His superb sinker made him one of the elite pitchers at that time.
If Webb is able to make his debut with the Rangers, he will essentially be pitching for the first time in two years. He has several factors working against him. One, he will be close to 32 years of age at the start of the 2011 season. Two is his marked drop in velocity. Third is recent history. Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, Chien Ming-Wang, Justin Duchscherer, and Erik Bedard all failed in their 2010 comeback attempts from arm surgery. Last is the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is notoriously known as a difficult place to pitch, especially in the heat of summer.
Therefore, it is likely that Webb will not be effective this season. Yet fantasy leagues are many times won with late-round sleepers or low dollar acquisitions of those that were shunned, some because of injury. Josh Hamilton in 2010 and Chris Carpenter in 2009 are two that should come to mind to any fantasy GM.

J.C. Romero

Philadelphia has come to terms with left handed pitcher J.C. Romero after declining his $4.5 million dollar option two months ago. The Phillies earlier this month had an apparent deal on the table with Dennys Reyes. However, it is believed to have fallen through when doctors had questions about Reyes' health.
Romero was limited to 36.2 IP in 60 appearances because of elbow problems in 2010. In addition, control problems once again continued to plague him. He struck out 28 batters (6.87 K/9) while walking 29 (7.12 BB/9). He still is able to induce batters into hitting ground balls (61% GB/12% LD/ 26%FB), and is effective against left-handed hitters holding them to a .174/.278/.251 batting line over the last three seasons.
At this stage of his career, however, the Phillies will have to contend with his wildness. He ended last season with a respectable 3.68 ERA. But because of walks, he posted a considerably higher 4.99 xERA and an ugly 1.61 WHIP. These are numbers that will find him on many fantasy waiver wires this coming year, even in leagues which count holds.

Andrew McCutchen

MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates may be contemplating a multiyear extension for 24 year old outfielder Andrew McCutchen. This follows on the heals of Jay Bruce's recently signed contract extension with the Reds. However, Luke Adams in his article rightly points out that McCutchen's extension should be modeled after that of Justin Upton's six-year $51.25 MM extension which he signed last winter. McCutchen finished last year with a .286/.365/.449 slash line, and 16 HR's, 94 R's, and 56 RBI's in 570 PA's, numbers very similar to Upton's pre-2010 signing. And like Upton, he is looked upon more for his speed than his power. McCutchen stole 33 bases in 2010, but also was caught stealing 10 times.

The question the Pirates now face is whether or not McCutchen's service time qualifies him for Super Two status. He has accumulated one year and 123 days of service. If the cutoff in 2011 is similar to last year's one year and 122 days of service, it can pose a problem for Pittsburgh's future payroll. Both sides will most likely opt, therefore, to wait for clarity on this issue before pursuing an extension. McCutchen is now under the Pirates control through 2015, and regardless of when arbitration may take place, he remains a vital key to the Pirates future hopes.

Brad Hawpe

Pending a physical, the San Diego Padres will sign 31 year old Brad Hawpe over the weekend to a one year contract. Hawpe, a Type B free agent, was traded mid season last year from the Rockies to the Tampa Bay Rays. He is expected to play 1st base for the Friars. The lefty swinger has a career .271/.367/.467 slash line, but is only a .245/.322/.438 career hitter against southpaws. The Padres are likely to find a platoon partner for him. Hawpe has patrolled the corner outfield positions most of his career but is considered a weak defender. As a matter of fact, per cumulative UZR, he ranks as one of the top ten worst fielders in the last decade (RF, -83.8). He has hit well inside Petco Field, and should be on one's fantasy radar in NL-only leagues.

Prospects

Fangraphs has been rolling out their 2011 preview of their top 10 prospects for every major league team. Their analysis is superb. This is a must read for all those in dynasty or keeper leagues.

NHL Happenings

New York Islanders winger Joshua Bailey has been called up from the AHL. Hopefully he has regained his confidence after scoring 18 points with Bridgeport. He will have to clear waivers if he is sent down again, so look for him to remain with the big club for the remainder of the year.

Pekka Rinne has been activated from the IR. However, Anders Lindback will start tonight. He has earned more starts for his stellar play in Rinne's absence. Rinne will be between the pipes in Nashville's next game against Ottawa tomorrow night.

Phoenix has called up winger Mikkel Boedker to fill in for injured Taylor Pyatt. Dobber believes that Boedker being drafted eighth overall is the sole reason he was promoted instead of Brett MacLean. MacLean was selected 32nd overall.

Flyers/Islanders November 6, 2010

The Philadelphia Flyers were not the opponent the New York Islanders wanted to see visit the Nassau Coliseum Saturday night. Losers of six straight games, the Isles had been especially listless in their last three contests, having been outscored 17-3. One of those losses came at the hands of the Flyers last week in Philadelphia, a humiliating 6-1 hammering. Add to this Philadelphia’s current five game winning streak, and the glaring 19-2-0 advantage the Flyers hold over them in their past 21 meetings, and it is easy to conclude that things did not bode well for the Isles entering into tonight’s play.
And so the night went. Andreas Nodl scored the game-winning goal for the Flyers with 6:25 left in the third period to give the Flyers a 2-1 victory and their sixth consecutive win. Meanwhile, the Islanders dreadful losing streak increased to seven games. With the score tied 1-1, Eric Wellwood unleashed a shot on goal which hit the mask of the upright Isles goaltender Dwayne Roloson. Nodl was right in the crease to scoop up the rebound and put the game-winner in the net. It was his third goal of the year.
Rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar once again for Philadelphia saving 31 shots. The Flyers were outshot 14-5 in the second period, but dominated the third, spending most of the period in the Islander zone. Bobrovsky made his only noticeable error when he cleared the puck over the boards for a game delaying penalty with less than two minutes remaining in the game. With Roloson on the bench and their net empty, the Isles tried to mount a comeback with a 6-on-4 man advantage, but were unable to score.
Mike Richards opened the scoring for the Flyers in the first period when he redirected a Chris Pronger shot past Roloson for his third goal of the season. The Isles Matt Moulson then tied the game in the second period on a wrist shot from the left circle after taking a beautiful feed from James Wisniewski. The power-play goal proved to be the only score the Isles could muster. It was Moulson’s sixth goal of the year.
The Isles have not led at any point during their current losing streak. All the losses have been in regulation, and they have not gained a point since October 21st, a 3-2 win in Tampa Bay. Since then, the team has had the most difficult time generating any type of offense. At least tonight they were in the game until the final buzzer. If they continue to play with the same intensity, the wins will eventually come.
Notes: The Flyers blocked 26 shots in the game…John Tavares has one goal, one assist, and a net -11 plus/minus since his hat trick in Florida against the Panthers on October 27.

Fantasy Frustration October 19, 2010

Every fantasy hockey GM (or any rotisserie player for that matter, be it baseball, football, etc.) must decide daily or on a weekly basis who on his roster to activate and who to put on the bench. Many times the results defy logic, leaving the GM snake-bit and dejected. Tonight it happened to me.

Faced with the choice of playing two goalies, I had to select among Pekka Rinne, Michael Neuvirth, and Roberto Luongo. Neuvirth was coming into tonight's game with a four game winning streak, and a stellar 1.95 GAA. Roberto Luongo is regarded as one of the NHL's top five goalies, and was up against the offensively challenged Wild, albeit in Minnesota. Rinne, recovering from a knee injury, was making his first start in over ten days. I feel Rinne is tremendously under-rated, and arguably one of the best net-minders in the league. Yet, I could not start him because of how long it has been since he played. So I went into the night having activated Luongo and Neuvirth, and benching Rinne.

Neuvirth was forced to leave the game against Boston after six minutes in the first period because of flu like symptoms, but not before allowing two goals on six shots.
Luongo was benched after the second period after giving up six goals on sixteen shots. And of course, Rinne played brilliantly pitching a shutout until Rene Bourque scored on him deep into overtime for the only goal of the game. Between Luongo's disaster and Neuvirth's illness my GAA and S% are shot for the week. Oh the joy of fantasy hockey!!!!!!

Isles-Maple Leafs October 18, 2010

The New York Islanders came into the Air Garden Centre and handed the Toronto Maple Leafs their first loss of the season on a power play goal by John Tavares at 3:26 of overtime. With Brett Lebda in the penalty box for goaltender interference, Tavares netted a one-timer from the right face-off circle that passed a screened Jean- Sebastien Giguere for the game winner. He also picked up an assist, making a beautiful pass to Matt Moulson who scored his third goal of the year.

Both teams which failed to make the playoffs a year ago entered the contest with surprising leads of their respective divisions. Toronto won its first four games of the young season with strong performances from Clarke MacArthur (5G, 1A), Phil Kessel (4G, 2A), and Giguere (1.94 GAA). And despite losing key players Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo to devastating shoulder injuries, the Isles have played well also.

Islander goalie Dwayne Roloson got the start between the pipes. He won last Saturday night’s game against Colorado making 30 saves on 32 shots. His last start in Toronto, a 58 save performance on November 29, 2009 which the Isles won 4-3 in overtime, certainly weighed into coach Scott Gordon’s decision to start him over Rick DiPietro.

Roloson did not disappoint. He made 29 saves on thirty shots. In the first period, he made a brilliant save on Kessel’s point-blank shot from the slot. In all, he made at least four acrobatic saves. Toronto, however, also had two apparent goals waived off. First, Dion Phaneuf blasted a shot from the slot that Roloson could not handle. Kris Versteeg then deflected the rebound past Roloson, but the refs ruled that he first knocked it down with a high stick. In the third period, Colby Armstrong’s shot hit Roloson’s back which Toronto thought deflected into the goal. Replays, however, showed that the puck never crossed the goal line. Radek Martinek also blocked a Fredrik Sjostrom shot at the goal mouth when Roloson was pulled out of position.

Toronto finally did score late in the third period to tie the score at 1-1 on a power play goal by Kessel to send the game into overtime. He scored on deflection off of a defenseman’s skate. The Islanders were short- handed at the time because of a cross-checking penalty by James Wisniewski. Kessel’s goal prevented Roloson from becoming the first Islander goalie to ever record a shutout in Toronto.

Notes: Lebda, finally recovering from shoulder surgery, made his first appearance of the year for the Maple Leafs… The Islanders Trent Hunter did not travel with the team. He was hit with a shot on the foot in Friday’s game against Pittsburgh. He is considered day-to-day… Blake Comeau, who was questionable after being hit in the foot with a slap shot last Saturday, played for the Isles. His TOI was 21:43… Josh Bailey left in the second period with a hip flexor injury and did not return…. Giguere made 18 saves on 20 shots… Tavaras won 12 of 14 face-offs… Mike Brown and Zenon Kenopka were involved in a short-lived scrum which was broken up abruptly by the linesmen…. A potential altercation between Trevor Gillies (TOI 3:32) and Colton Orr (TOI 5:10) never materialized.

Regal Royals

The Kansas City Royals have not sniffed the playoffs since the 1980's. Yet for the past few years, baseball prognosticators have touted them as a possible dark horse in the AL Central Division, only to see them repeatedly crash and burn. The main cause of optimism has been their excellent farm system. With the likes of Christian Colon, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Derrick Robinson, Wil Myers, Mike Montgomery, and arguably baseball's best left handed prospect John Lamb, the future indeed is bright. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus gives a preview of what the Royals possible roster could look like in 2013. For fans of the Twins, Tigers, Indians, and White Sox......watch out.

Read more....

Arencibia's Auspicious Debut

J.P. Arencibia’s hit two home runs, doubled, and singled in his major league debut. The 24 year old catcher was just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Arencibia was called up this week by the Toronto Blue Jays because of a hand injury to John Buck. In his first ever big league at bat, Arencibia blasted Tampa Bay’s James Shields’ first pitch over the left field wall for a two-run homer. He later hit a solo shot off of Dale Thayer in the sixth inning. Quite an auspicious beginning to the highly regarded young backstop.